SLT Meeting held March 31, 2016 2:45 pm in the conference room at HMS.

Mr. Barney spoke about the importance of PLC collaboration for teachers; TAG Time benefits of helping students; and having a good aide to help students.

The budget for next year was discussed and upon approval will be posted.

The math department implemented a new grading scale which is based upon the student knowledge and not on the amount of work accomplished. A couple of the parents mentioned how their student did not like the program at first (change can be difficult) but has since declared that the system works better and the student likes it much better.

It was suggested that with the aide working out so well for struggling students that funding be provided to add more time for the aide or more aides be provided to assist teachers with teaching students.

Funding will be provided for a small stipend to assist teachers with collaboration during the summer.

Funding for the counseling can be discontinued since the district will be funding the cost this year. The Chinese program will be structured for beginning students and those that will be coming from the Chinese immersion program from the lower grades. The Chinese teacher will also be teaching at the intermediate school next year as well as the high school and middle school.

It was suggested that during a TAG Time a class could be taught to students on how to tutor other students.

Credit recovery has been successful this year.

Learning intervention classes such as Math counts and the Science Olympiad were successful this year. A new class, Lego Robotics, was added this year as well. Funding will be provided to help these classes with continued success and add other classes as needed/desired.

The character education program and the night of excellence will have some funding provided to recognize the successes of students.

Leftover money has been approved to purchase 14 Chromebooks with licenses for student/classroom use.

It was suggested to have a “Dad’s night” to help increase parental support. One of the members said they saw this at another school and the rate of parental support did increase and was good for the students.

Review of the 2015- 2016 SLT budget. Everyone agreed that it had been put to good use.

Mr. Goodwin proposed the 2016-2017 SLT budget. The funding would include but not be limited to the following items:

The Chinese Teacher’s salary

Our Professional Learning Community for teachers and for subs so teachers are able to go to the trainings and professional observations

Continue with credit recovery

Increase COWS (computers on Wheels) for individual classrooms

There was a discussion about TAG and the Pros and Cons of the program. All in attendance agreed the program is effective and is getting better each year. It was suggested that we could provide more opportunities for extensions for all levels, such as intramurals.

Principal's Letter

Dear Hurricane Middle Parents and Students,

As the new principal of HMS It is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for a great year at Hurricane Middle School. I have had several months to reflect on my new position and would like to say I am humbled and grateful to be the principal at Hurricane Middle. I have lived in the Hurricane Valley for almost 20 years now and am blessed to know many of you and your families, and I look forward to meeting and building relationships with those I don’t know. It will be our mission to help every student at HMS feel welcomed, cared for, and connected to the Hurricane Middle School family. We will also continue instilling our core values, which are: Respect, Responsibility, and Kindness – These core values are designed to provide a common language that drives student awareness and achievement. Additionally, we will strive to challenge each student at HMS to grow academically, and as leaders, to prepare them to have a great academic, extra-curricular, and life experience.

All signs point to a productive school year. To start off I would like to thank our conscientious custodial and maintenance staff for having our building in immaculate condition – the facility looks great. Our experienced and dedicated office staff has been busy this summer registering new families, ordering needed supplies, and updating files, and in general making HMS work like a well-oiled machine. At Hurricane Middle, we have a talented and skilled faculty that spend many hours creating challenging classroom activities that will engage our students in learning and developing life skills. Our teachers utilize the latest research based best teaching practices, and have spent a lot of time analyzing academic data to assure that we will provide a great learning experience for our students – We have great teachers.

Each year brings positive change. We were fortunate to be able to retain Shaun Jaggi as the Assistant Principal and are very happy to have him. We have hired several teachers and support staff that we are very excited about and they will be great additions to the HMS team. Here is a list of our new Teachers and Staff members:

We look forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure your children can achieve their highest potential. We are fully aware that each student will need support from both school and home to get the most out of their HMS years. One of our goals this year is to communicate better with parents – but feel free to reach out to us as needed. As partners we need to share that responsibility and would like to offer a few suggestions that might help on your end:

Make school attendance a priority, arrive on time, and come to school prepared to learn.

Encourage daily reading to develop a love of reading, and improve literacy skills which help in all classes.

Set high expectations for your child.

Use PowerSchool to monitor your students’ progress – It as an amazing tool that can help you as a parent.

I feel honored and humbled to serve as the principal of Hurricane Middle School. It is truly a privilege to be part of a community where parents, teachers, and students care for each other and build positive relationships that support academic and social growth.

Sincerely,

Chris Homer

HMS Principal

A-B Calendar

Our school operates on a 4 class schedule day. Therefore we have an A day and a B day.
A day=classes 1-4
B day= classes 5-8

Cell Phone Policy

We are asking for your support in dealing with problems associated with inappropriate use of cell phones and other electronic devices at HMS. We believe calling or answering calls, sending and receiving texts and pictures, and browsing the internet and social media sites can be detrimental to the learning process and can cause behavior/discipline problems. The use of cell phones in class, which are not expressly condoned by our teachers, will have a negative impact on learning. We realize cell phones and other electronic devices are not inherently bad or evil, but want to help teach appropriate use of these devices.

We are not only concerned about the everyday uses of cell phones in class, but we are even more concerned about the potential harm cell phones and electronic devices could cause to our students. Any of the more serious violations of our Safe Schools Policy could result in suspension, expulsion, or legal/criminal action. Our biggest concerns include the following:

Cyber-Bullying – Please discuss and monitor this issue with your student. If you discover that your student is involved as a sender, or receiver of this type of bullying (or any other type of bullying) please let HMS administration or counselors know as soon as possible so we can act.

In an effort to reduce distractions and focus attention on learning, the following commitment is collectively in force at Hurricane Middle School.

HMS Cell Phone & Electronics Policy:

Student use of electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, MP3 players, headphones, ear buds, Bluetooth Devices, or other Electronics) is prohibited during class time, except at the specific request of the teacher for instructional purposes. Students are strongly encouraged to leave electronic devices at home. If a student chooses to bring electronic devices to school, the device must remain out of sight and in silent mode or turned off during the entire class period. Students can, however, choose to use their electronic devices outside of the classroom, before school or during class changes, lunch, or after school. Students cannot use cell phones or electronic devices in the library at any time.

We ask that you avoid contacting your student during class time. Students can be contacted during class time if necessary, by calling the main office.

If the Cell Phone & Electronics Policy is violated by a student it will result in the following actions:

1st Offense – Device confiscated; Student can pick it up after school from the main office.

2nd Offense – Device confiscated; Parent or guardian must pick it up from the main office.

3rd Offense – Device confiscated; Parent or guardian must pick it up from the main office and the student will receive lunch detention or in-school suspension.

Community Council Form

Serving on our School Community Council is a wonderful way for parents and teachers to contribute and help improve academic performance at our school.
The school receives an annual dividend from the school land trust. Our council decides how these funds will be used.
The council reviews and prepares other academic plans for our students each year.
All plans are reviewed for final approval by our school community council. Councils also act in an advisory capacity to school and school district administrations.

Dress Code Policy

HMS/HHS Dress Code

Shorts should be no shorter than just above the knee cap (4 inches).
Sleeveless shirts must cover the neck to the outside of shoulder.
Distressed or mutilated pants must show NO flesh above the knee.
Clothes cannot be transparent or display profanity or suggestive slogans.
Hats cannot be worn in the building.
Leggings, spandex, etc. are to be worn with an outer garment covering them.
Piercings, hair color, hair style and overall dress and appearance must not be distractive to the learning environment.
Students in violation of these polices will be sent home. Parents please review the detailed explanation of the district dress code policy (washk12.org)
with your student in order to avoid problems during the school year.

This notice is not all inclusive, we strive for a professional environment for administration and staff, faculty and students. Thank you for your help.
If you have questions, please call the school. 435-635-4634.

Parents asked about Amendment B (The Utah School Funds Modification Amendment which will be on the November 8, 2016, ballot in Utah as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment) and there was a discussion on some pros and cons. Mr. Goodwin stated how schools benefitted with Trust Land money.

Review of the 2015- 2016 SLT budget. Everyone agreed that it had been put to good use.

Mr. Goodwin proposed the 2016-2017 SLT budget. The funding would include but not be limited to the following items:

The Chinese Teacher’s salary
Our Professional Learning Community for teachers and for subs so teachers are able to go to the trainings and professional observations
Continue with credit recovery
Increase COWS (computers on Wheels) for individual classrooms
There was a discussion about TAG and the Pros and Cons of the program. All in attendance agreed the program is effective and is getting better each year. It was suggested that we could provide more opportunities for extensions for all levels, such as intramurals.